To the Groom
by The Queen of Cold
Summary: Clarke is happy to be Raven's maid of honour at her wedding. The only problem is she's in love with the groom. Based on the song "Satisfied" from Hamilton.
"And now I'd like to introduce the maid of honour to give a speech," Wells Jaha, the MC for the night was saying. "Please give a warm welcome to Clarke Griffin."

The guests all applauded as Clarke took her place at the microphone, a glass of champagne in one hand and a copy of her speech in the other. She took a quick gulp before smiling at the crowd and beginning the speech.

"To the groom, Bellamy, one of my best friends," she began, "and to the bride, Raven, who has been like a sister to me. You know that I will support you through everything you do, and this is by no means an exception. For those of you who don't know, I've known Raven almost my whole life. When her parents passed away as a child she became a part of my own family, and I couldn't be happier for her today. I only met Bellamy two years ago, but it's like we've been friends forever…"

 **Two Years Earlier**

The party had been Abby's idea. Jake, Clarke's father, had just returned from Iraq, so her mother thought it would be a nice gesture for the soldiers from the town of Arkadia who had been fighting overseas to come together for one night. The event was black tie, of course, and most of the guests were just a bunch of rich people, save for the other soldiers.

Raven and Clarke were blending into the wall together, observing the soldiers who were in their uniforms awkwardly making small talk with the other guests.

"Oooh, that one's mine!" Raven exclaimed, staring at a handsome soldier who had just entered the room. She sipped her drink daintily as she looked him up and down, undressing him with her eyes. He was tall, dark and handsome; Clarke thought it was kind of cliché, but had to admit there was something about him that she liked, too.

"Good choice," she said. Raven put her drink down on a nearby table.

"I'm going to go talk to him," she told Clarke, adjusting her dress to make sure she wasn't falling out of her low-cut dress. The soldier was at the bar waiting for a drink and Clarke was watching him, intrigued. He hadn't made any effort to talk to anyone, including the other people at the bar.

"Let me do it," she requested, looking back at Raven who was fixing her lipstick while looking at her reflection in the screen of her phone. Raven stopped what she was doing and furrowed her brow at Clarke in confusion.

"Why? It's not like I don't know how to talk to a boy," she scoffed. Clarke shrugged.

"It'll be kind of mysterious this way," she reasoned. Raven smacked her lips together and nodded, putting her lipstick and phone away.

"Yeah okay, why not?" she agreed. Clarke smiled at her and walked towards the stranger. He watched her as she walked towards him, giving her a polite smile.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked as she reached him and leant against the bar next to him. She was going to lie and say she was having a great time, but felt more compelled to tell him the truth.

"Not really," she admitted. "These kinds of parties aren't really my thing."

The soldier chuckled. "Yeah, I know what you mean," he agreed. "Then again, you don't really strike me as the person who is easily satisfied."

"You've known me all of two seconds and you're already making assumptions about me," Clarke remarked.

"I've been watching you tonight," he confessed. "You're like me, I'm never satisfied."

"Oh really?" Clarke queried, raising an eyebrow.

"I haven't been yet," he told her, taking a sip of his drink. She wasn't sure whether or not to be insulted and walk away, tell Raven to forget about him, but curiosity got the better of her and she decided to stick around and hear him out.

"I'm Clarke Griffin," Clarke introduced, putting her hand out for him to shake.

"I know," he replied, taking her hand. "Bellamy Blake. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Clarke said. "So are you from Arkadia originally? I haven't seen you around before and I thought I knew everyone in this little town."

Bellamy took a sip of his drink and shook his head. "No, but where I'm from doesn't really matter. It's all in the past," he told her. "All you need to know is that one day I'm going to change the world."

Clarke laughed but stopped when she caught his eye and realised he was completely serious. "Okay, and how are you going to do that?" she wondered.

"Well, right now I'm helping fight in wars overseas," he explained. "But I'm also going to college to study politics so I can infiltrate the government and make the world a better place."

"You make it sound so easy," Clarke noted. Bellamy nodded.

"Well it's going to take a long time," he admitted. "First I need the money to actually go to college. Hence why I decided to join the army. It pays well."

Clarke eyed him cautiously, wondering if maybe the reason he was so interested in her was because he knew her family was wealthy… It seemed ridiculous but she couldn't seem to toss the thought aside, not after he'd told her he'd been watching her and that he knew who she was before she even introduced herself.

Regardless of that thought, she liked him from the brief conversation they'd had, and she was about to ask him if he wanted to go outside to continue the conversation, but she glanced over at Raven who was trying to act natural while clearly watching them desperately. Clarke sighed. "There's someone I'd like you to meet," she said to Bellamy. "Come with me." She took his hand and led him across the room.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked hesitantly. Clarke just smiled at him as she stopped in front of Raven, who didn't bother to hide her relief that Clarke hadn't said anything stupid or run off with him herself.

"Bellamy Blake, this is my sister," she informed him. Raven smiled.

"Raven Reyes," she introduced herself. "We're not really related," she explained, seeing the look of confusion on his face.

He smiled at her. "Well, who says you can't choose your family?" he said, his eyes locking on Raven's. Clarke left them to it, not wanting to intrude on their conversation. She did, however, keep an eye on them. And Bellamy's eyes didn't leave Raven the entire night.

"Come on, Clarke, I'm just asking you to do this one thing for me," Raven begged. "I know you hate him but you haven't even tried to talk to him. I think you'd really like him if you got to know him." She was trying to organise a dinner party so that Bellamy and Clarke would start getting along, not realising that Clarke was in love with him and had been since the night they met.

Clarke rolled her eyes at her friend. "Maybe, but it could also be really awkward," she argued. "I'd feel like a third wheel."

"That's why Wells is coming too," Raven told her. "I thought he could even things out a bit…"

"Not you too!" Clarke groaned. "You know my parents have been trying to get us together since we were kids. Wells is my friend but I don't want this to be a double date."

"It doesn't have to be," Raven countered. "It can just be four friends hanging out. Just please do it for me? One dinner."

"Fine," Clarke finally agreed. "One dinner."

Raven smiled smugly as the doorbell rang. "Good, now go and get changed because I organised it for tonight and Bellamy and Wells just got here."

Clarke glared at her friend as she reluctantly went to her room to change.

She was in a sour mood for the rest of the night. Her best friend had tricked her and being in a room with the person she wanted to be with, and the person everyone else wanted her to be with wasn't very fun, as she had expected. She hadn't said much save for a couple of short and snarky remarks to Bellamy in an attempt to hide her true feelings. Raven was annoyed to say the least.

"Clarke, Bellamy, why don't you two clean up while Wells and I get some more wine," she suggested, her teeth gritted from her annoyance with Clarke. "God knows we need it."

"Actually, Raven-," Clarke began. Raven shot her a death stare.

"It's fine," Bellamy cut Clarke off before she could complain. "We'd be happy to, right Clarke?"

Clarke gave him a thin smile. "Sure thing." She picked up some plates and strode to the kitchen. Bellamy picked up the salad bowls and followed her. Clarke aggressively shoved the plates in the sink, smashing one.

"Okay, what's the deal?" Bellamy demanded, putting the still half-full salad bowls on the bench. Clarke picked up a cloth and ran it under hot water.

"What deal?" she wondered.

"You barely speak to me and when you do it's because you want to insult me or make some other kind of short remark," Bellamy explained. "You couldn't even politely ask me to pass the butter at the table, instead you had to reach over everyone to get it yourself. If I've done something to offend you I'd like to know."

Clarke was now vigorously scrubbing the bench and refused to look up at Bellamy while she did so. "You've done absolutely nothing to upset me," she tried to assure him, but not very convincingly. "We haven't really had anything to do with each other so what could I possibly be upset about?"

"I don't know," Bellamy admitted, but still not willing to let it go. "I thought we got along really well the first night we met but since then you're always making excuses to not spend time with me and Raven. I get not wanting to be a third wheel but even with group hangs you bail."

"That's not true!" Clarke defended, stopping her cleaning for a brief moment. "I came that time everyone went out for Jasper's birthday." She immediately went back to making herself busy with washing the dishes, convinced that was a good enough answer.

"But you weren't going to until you found out I had to work that night," Bellamy pointed out, folding his arms. Clarke paused again and cursed under her breath. He was closing in on her and she was running out of excuses, but she couldn't possibly tell him the truth. "Come on Clarke, what is this really about?"

Clarke sighed and turned to face him, taking her time to think of a reasonable lie. "Maybe it's about Raven," she said finally. "Maybe… maybe I don't think you're good enough for her. You're a poor college student and she's the youngest engineer in a century."

Bellamy was taken aback and his face fell. "Do you really mean that?" he asked quietly. Clarke wanted to say yes. She wanted to destroy her relationship with him so she could make sure there was never a chance for them. But the look of hurt on his face made her stomach drop with guilt. She sighed.

"No, of course not," she replied, lowering her voice to match his. "I just… I can't be around you. It's too hard."

"But _why_ is it too hard? I'm not that hard to get along with am I?" he pressed. Clarke groaned.

"Just drop it, please?" Clarke begged. That's when it dawned on Bellamy. He was silent for a moment as it sank in.

"You have feelings for me." He didn't have to ask, and when Clarke glanced down to avoid his eyes it only confirmed the suspicion. "Does Raven know?" he wondered.

Clarke shook her head. "Of course not," she replied. "It would kill her. But I know you don't feel the same way so I guess now it's only a matter of time until you tell her and she hates me forever." She brushed herself off and was headed to the lounge to join Raven and Wells when Bellamy gently caught her arm to stop her.

"I won't tell her," he assured Clarke. She nodded and gave him a small smile.

"Thank you."

Ever since Raven and Bellamy had gotten engaged, Clarke and Bellamy had been spending a lot more time together. Raven had always said she refused to be a "Bridezilla", and as such had handed most of the responsibility to her fiancé and maid of honour. The only thing she'd made a decision on so far was her wedding dress, unless you included her request for "anything but fish" for the meals at the reception.

Yesterday, Clarke and Bellamy had gone cake tasting. Today, they were deciding on bridesmaids dresses.

"Did Raven give you any idea of what colour she wants you and O to wear?" Bellamy asked as they walked into the bridal store, not really expecting anything. Clarke gave him an obvious look.

"What do you think?" she replied. They both laughed. "She doesn't even know what colours we've picked for the flowers."

"The bridesmaids' dresses should probably match the flowers though, right?" he wondered. Clarke shrugged, since she had also never planned a wedding before.

"I guess?" she laughed uncertainly. A sales assistant came up to the pair of them and smiled warmly.

"Hi, can I help you two today?" she asked kindly. Her nametag read 'Alie'.

"Yes!" Clarke exclaimed. "We were hoping to look at some bridesmaids dresses but we're not really sure… of anything."

Alie laughed. "Not a problem. I'll show you the selection we have in store at the moment, you can try some on and if you don't like any we can look at the catalogue and we can order something in," she told them. "First thing's first, what colours have you gone with for the flowers?"

Alie took them through the dresses on the racks and they picked three dresses that they both liked, all in lavender.

"I'll let you try these on. Let me know if you need any help," she said. Clarke smiled at her.

"Thank you." Alie left them to it and Clarke turned to Bellamy. "Okay, which one first?" she asked.

"The one with the frills," he decided. Clarke agreed and stepped into the change room. She struggled to do up all of the clasps on it, but eventually got it on without asking for help.

Clarke emerged from the change room dramatically and Bellamy tried hard to contain his laughter. The frills on the skirt were more overwhelming than they had anticipated just seeing it on the hanger, and the lace which made up the bodice didn't complement it well.

"I thought so too," Clarke said in response to Bellamy's laughter.

"I'm sorry, you look beautiful," he laughed. Clarke glared at him and folded her arms.

"I'm taking it off," she told him, storming back into the change room. "If the next one's terrible I'm not showing you."

"Aw, come on!" Bellamy groaned. "I promise I won't laugh again!"

"It's too late, you've already proven I can't trust you to be serious about this," Clarke said adamantly, while still joking around. The second dress was much easier to put on, and much nicer as well. This time she stepped out of the change room more hesitantly, not wanting Bellamy to laugh again. This one was shorter, just above the knee, and made mostly from layers of chiffon.

"Okay I like this one," Bellamy decided, and Clarke breathed a sigh of relief.

"Me too," she agreed. "But I don't know how I feel about the spaghetti straps."

"You don't feel comfortable showing your shoulders?" he queried. Clarke laughed.

"No, they're just very 90's," she explained. "We have one more though so let's not make a decision yet."

"Okay," Bellamy agreed. "Let me know if you need any help. It seemed like you struggled a bit getting the last one off."

The last one was absolutely stunning. It was floor length with a sweetheart neckline, and was quite simple aside from the small lace sleeves. This time as Clarke stepped out of the dressing room, Bellamy was over looking at the gowns on the mannequins, so Clarke had to cough to get his attention.

"Bellamy, what do you think of this one?" she asked. Bellamy turned to face her and as he did his breath caught in his throat and he couldn't help but stare at her. She did a little spin to show him the whole thing.

"I think it's perfect," he managed to say. Clarke smiled.

"Good, I thought so too," she agreed, turning to the mirror to stare at herself some more. Bellamy slowly walked toward her, unsure of how to word what he was about to say.

"Clarke…" he began. "There's something I have to ask you about something you told me, a while back."

"Yeah?" Clarke said distractedly, still staring at herself. Bellamy cleared his throat.

"Can you please look at me?" he requested.

"Right, sorry," she apologised and turned to face him seriously.

"You know that night Raven had that dinner party," Bellamy went on. "When I thought you still hated me? And you told me…"

"Bellamy…" Clarke begged, not really wanting to talk about it.

"No just let me finish," Bellamy said. "I just wanted to know… Have your feelings for me changed since that night?"

Clarke sighed and dropped her head, and looked at her fidgeting hands. "No," she admitted.

"Well, mine have," Bellamy told her, swallowing nervously. Clarke looked up at him in surprise.

"What are you saying?" she asked.

"I'm saying that maybe I'm marrying the wrong person," he said. Their eyes locked and Clarke's heart flipped. He was saying everything that she had wanted to hear.

Bellamy put his hand and Clarke's face and gently stroked her cheek as he moved his lips towards hers and they both closed their eyes.

"Bellamy," Clarke whispered, their lips almost touching. "We can't."

They opened their eyes and Bellamy left his hand on her face for a moment as his eyes searched hers. They both wanted this, but he understood why. He nodded and dropped his hand.

"You're right," he agreed. He cleared his throat and sighed. "I'm, uh… I'll go find Alie and tell her we've found the one."

 **Present Day**

"So, to my beautiful sister and her incredible new husband; I hope you have a happy life together, and may you always be satisfied!" The crowd applauded when Clarke had finished and she returned to her seat.

Wells took his place back at the microphone, still clapping. "Thank you, Clarke. Now if the bride and groom could please make their way to the dance floor for their first dance as a married couple," he said.

"Thank you Clarke, that was beautiful," Raven whispered as she got up from the table.

"I meant every word," Clarke told her with a smile, and she truly did.

Raven and Bellamy made their way to the dancefloor and Michael Buble's version of L-O-V-E started to play. They both looked so happy, and Clarke hated that it was making her sad. She felt so guilty, even though nothing had ever happened between her and Bellamy. She could feel herself tearing up and had to pull herself away.

She decided the coat room was the best place to hide away from the crowd. As soon as she closed the door the tears started pouring out, and once she'd started she just couldn't find a way to stop. The song finished and she cried through several more before she heard someone turn the door handle. Clarke quickly wiped the tears from her face and tried to look presentable as the person entered.

"I thought I'd find you here," Bellamy said softly. Clarke nodded.

"Good guess," she muttered, brushing away some new tears.

"Clarke –," Bellamy began, taking a step towards her.

"Congratulations," Clarke choked out, holding her hand out to him so he couldn't come any closer. Bellamy gave her a small smile and took her hand.

"Thank you," he replied. In that handshake they said everything they had ever wanted to say to each other but never could. It was like a long conversation and the kiss they would never share all in one. Clarke loved him, but she knew he would make Raven happier than he could ever make her. After all, he was right. She would never be satisfied.


End file.
